Journals

Below are the journal entries that can be found in the Ruins.

Ants

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: ONE
[Voice Recognition Initialized]

[Subjects Identified: A001, B556]

[LOG BEGINS]

Technician: Atta cephalotes. What sort of experiment are you doing with these?

Director: No experiment. I just find them interesting. Don't you?

Tech: Not really?

Director: You ought to. Very efficient. They perfected farming millions of years before humans.

(sound of tapping on glass)

Director: An entire colony led by and in service to its queen. Each organism knows its role.

Tech: I have the results from the power tests, director.

Director: And?

Tech: Negative, ma'am.

Director: I see. You know, another admirable quality of ants occurs to me. They can pull twenty times their own weight.

Tech: I'm not sure I follow, ma'am.

Director: Are you pulling your weight, doctor?

[LOG ENDS]

Cleaning Up The Mess

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: NONE
I cleaned up a few messes in my time, but ain't nothing like the mess I seen today in that bio lab. Green goop all over the floor, all over the walls. Murky tubes with what look like human shapes floating in them.

They think old Mr. Gunderson ain't got smarts enough to put two and two together, but I got eyes, don't I?

Ain't nobody ever pay attention to the janitor.

But the janitor pays attention to everybody.

-Mr. Stinky Gunderson

Office Cake

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: NONE
Joshua: Hey Mr. Kraus, I'm passing around the collection pan. Wanna pitch in a couple bucks to get a cake for Ellie?

Otto: Uh... I think I'll pass.

Joshua: C'mon Otto, it's her birthday.

Otto: Alright, fine. But this is all I have on me.

Otto: I don't get why you hang out with her. Isn't she kind of... you know, mean?

Joshua: Even the meanest people have a little niceness in them somewhere.

Otto: Huh. Good luck finding it.

Joshua: Thanks for the cake money, Otto.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Ellie: Nice cake. I bet it wasn't easy to like, strong arm everyone into buying it.

Joshua: You know, if you were a little nicer to people they might want to spend more time with you.

Ellie: Pfft, please. Friends are about quality, not quantity, Josh.

Joshua: Wow! Was that a roundabout compliment I just heard?

Ellie: What? Gross, ew. Stop that.

Joshua: Oh, don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'm not much of a gossip.

Employee Processing

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: ONE
[Voice Recognition Initialized]

[Subjects Identified: A001, A435, B111]

[LOG BEGINS]

Technician: Thank-you for the fingerprints, doctor. We just need a quick voice sample, then you can be on your way.

Dr. Broussard: Wow Jackie, your new security's no joke.

Director: Please address me as "Director" while on Facility grounds.

Dr. Broussard: ...R-right.

(clicking)

Technician: This should only take a moment. Speak clearly and the system will derive a vocal signature for you.

Technician: When you're ready.

(throat clearing)

Dr. Broussard: Security code B111, Dr. Olivia Broussard. Gravitas Facility Bioengineering Department.

(pause)

Technician: Great.

Dr. Broussard: What was that light just now?

Director: A basic security scan. No need for concern.

(machine printing)

Technician: Here's your ID. You should have access to all doors in the facility now, Dr. Broussard.

Dr. Broussard: Thank-you.

Director: Come along, doctor.

[LOG ENDS]

Moved Rats

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: ONE
[Voice Recognition Initialized]

[Subjects Identified: A001, B111]

[LOG BEGINS]

Broussard: Director, do you know where my rats have been moved to? I asked around the bioengineering division but I was referred back to you.

Director: Hm? Oh, yes, they've been removed.

Broussard: "Removed"?

Director: Discarded. I'm sorry, did you still need them? The reports showed your experiments with them were completed.

Broussard: No, I-I... I'd collected all the data I needed, I just --

Director: -- Doctor. You weren't making pets out of test subjects, were you?

Broussard: Don't be ridiculous, I --

Director: -- Good.They were horrible to look at anyway. All those bumps.

Broussard: In the future, please do not mess with my things. It... disturbs me.

Director: I will notify you beforehand next time, doctor.

[LOG ENDS]

Personal Journal: A046

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: NONE
Gravitas has been growing pretty rapidly since our first product hit the market. I just got a look at some of the new hires - they're practically babies! Not quite what I was expecting, but then I've never had an opportunity to mentor someone before. Could be fun!

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Well, mentorship hasn't gone quite how I'd expected. Turns out the young hires don't need me to show them the ropes. Actually, since the facility's gotten rid of our swipe cards one of the nice young men had to show me how to operate the doors after I got stuck outside my own lab. Don't I feel silly.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Well, if that isn't just gravy, hm? One of the new hires will be acting as the team lead on my next project.

When I first started it wasn't that uncommon to sample a whole rack of test tubes by hand. Now a machine can do hundreds of them in seconds. Who knows what this job will look like in another ten or twenty years. Will I still even be in it?

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

That nice young man who helped me with the door the other day, Mr. Kraus, has been an absolute angel. He's been kind enough to help me with this horrible e-mail system and even showed me how to digitize my research notes. I'm learning a lot. Turns out I wasn't the mentor, I'm the mentee! If that isn't a chuckle. At any rate, I feel like I have a better handle on things around here due to Mr. Kraus' help. Turns out you're never too old to stop learning!

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Personal Journal: B111

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: THREE
I sent Dr. Holland home today after I found him wandering the lab mumbling to himself. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days!

I worry that everyone here is so afraid of disappointing ‘The Director’ that they are pushing themselves to the breaking point. Next chance I get, I’m going to bring this up with Jackie.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Well, that didn’t work.

Bringing up the need for some office bonding activities with the Director only met with her usual stubborn insistence that we “don’t have time for any fun”.

This is ridiculous. Tomorrow I’m going to organize something fun for everyone and Jackie will just have to deal with it. She just needs to see the long term benefits of short term stress relief to fully understand the importance of this.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

I can’t believe this! I organized a potluck lunch thinking it would be a nice break but Jackie discovered us as we were setting up and insisted that no one had time for “fooling around”. Of course, everyone was too afraid to defy ‘The Director’ and went right back to work.

All the food was just thrown out. Someone had even made home-made perogies! Seeing the break room garbage full of potato salad and chicken wings made me even more depressed than before. Those perogies looked so good.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

I keep finding senseless mistakes from stressed-out lab workers. It’s getting dangerous. I’m worried this colony we’re building will be plagued with these kind of problems if we don’t prioritize mental health as much as physical health. What’s the use of making all these plans for the future if we can’t build a better world?

Maybe there’s some way I can sneak some prerequisite down-time activities into the Printing Pod without Jackie knowing.

Personal Journal: B327

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: NONE
I'm starting my new job at Gravitas today. I'm... well, I'm nervous.

It turns out they hired a bunch of new people - I guess they're expanding - and most of them are about my age, but I'm the only one that hasn't done my doctorate. They all call me "Mister" Kraus and it's the worst.

I have no idea where I'll find the time to do my PhD while working a full time job.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

I screwed up so much today.

At one point I spaced on the formula for calculating the volume of a cone, they must have thought I was completely useless.

The only time I knew what I was doing was when I helped an older coworker figure out her dumb old email.

People say education isn't so important as long as you've got the skills, but there's things my colleagues know that I just don't. They're not mean about it or anything, it's just so frustrating. I feel dumb when I talk to them!

I bet they're gonna realize soon that I don't belong here, and then I'll be fired for sure. Man... I'm still paying off my student loans (WITH international fees), I can't lose this income.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Dr. Sklodowska's been really nice and welcoming since I started working here. Sometimes she comes and sits with me in the cafeteria. The food she brings from home smells like old feet but she chats with me about what new research papers we're each reading and it's very kind.

She tells me the fact I got hired without a doctorate means I must be very smart, and management must see something in me.

I'm not sure I believe her but it's nice to hear something that counters little voice in my head anyway.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

It's been about a week and a half and I think I'm finally starting to settle in. I'm feeling a lot better about my position - some of the senior scientists have even started using my ideas in the lab.

Dr. Sklodowska might have been right, my anxiety was just growing pains. This is my first real job and I guess afraid to let myself believe I could really, actually do it, just in case it went wrong.

I think I want to buy Dr. Sklowdoska a digital reader for her books and papers as a thank-you one day, if I ever pay off my student loans.

ONCE I pay off my student loans.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Personal Journal: B556

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: NONE
I've been so tired lately. I've probably spent the last 3 nights sleeping at my desk, and I've used the lab's safety shower to bathe twice already this month.

We're technically on schedule, but for some reason Director Stern has been breathing down my neck to get these new products ready for market.

Normally I'd be mad about the added pressure on my work, but something in the Director's voice tells me that time is of the essence.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

I keep finding myself staring at my computer screen, totally unable to remember what it was I was doing.

I try to force myself to type up some notes or analyze my data but it's like my brain is paralyzed, I can't get anything done.

I'll have to stay late to make up for all this time I've wasted staying late.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Dr. Broussard told me I looked half dead and sent me home today. I don't think she even has the authority to do that, but I did as I was told. She wasn't messing around if you know what I mean.

I can probably get a head start on my paper from home today, anyway.

I think I have an idea for a circuit configuration that will improve the battery life of all our technologies by a whole 2.3%.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

I got home yesterday fully intending to work on my paper after Broussard sent me home, but the second I walked in the door I hit the pillow and didn't get back up. I slept for 12 straight hours.

I had no idea I needed that. When I got into the lab this morning I looked over my work from the past few weeks, and realized it's completely useless.

It'll take me hours to correct all the mistakes I made these past few months. Is this what I was killing myself for? I'm such a rube, I owe Broussard a huge thanks.

I'll start keeping more regular hours from now on... Also, I was considering maybe getting a dog.

Personal Journal: B835

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: NONE
I started work at a new company called the "Gravitas Facility" today! I was nervous I wouldn't get the job at first because I was fresh out of school, and I was so so so pushy in the interview, but the Director apparently liked my thesis on the physiological thermal regulation of arctic lizards. I'll be working with some brilliant geneticists, bioengineering organisms for space travel in harsh environments! It's like a dream come true. I get to work on exciting new research in a place where no one knows me!

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

No no no no no! It can't be! BANHI ANSARI is here, working on space shuttle thrusters in the robotics lab! As soon as she saw me she called me "Bubbles" and told everyone about the time I accidentally inhaled a bunch of fungal spores during lab, blew a big snot bubble out my nose and then sneezed all over Professor Avery! Everyone's calling me "Bubbles" instead of "Doctor" at work now. Some of them don't even know it's a nickname, but I don't want to correct them and seem rude or anything. Ugh, I can't believe that story followed me here! BANHI RUINS EVERYTHING!

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

I've spent the last few days buried in my work, and I'm actually feeling a lot better. We finally perfected a gene manipulation that controls heat sensitivity in rats. Our test subjects barely even shiver in subzero temperatures now. We'll probably do a testrun tomorrow with Robotics to see how the rats fare in the prototype shuttles we're developing.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

HAHAHAHAHA! Bioengineering and Robotics did the test run today and Banhi was securing the live cargo pods when one of the rats squeaked at her. She was so scared, she fell on her butt and TOOTED in front of EVERYONE! They're all calling her "Pipsqueak" - "Bubbles" doesn't seem quite so bad now. Pipsqueak's been a really good sport about it though, she even laughed it off at the time. I think we might actually be friends now? It's weird.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

I lied. Me and Banhi aren't friends - we're BEST FRIENDS. She even showed me how she does her hair. We're gonna book the wind tunnel after work and run experiments together on thermo-rat rockets! Haha!

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Pipedream

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: ZERO
[LOG BEGINS]

The Director has suggested implanting artificial memories during print, but despite the great strides made in our research under her direction, such a thing can barely be considered more than a pipedream.

For the moment we remain focused on eliminating the remaining glitches in the system, as well as developing effective education and training routines for printed subjects.

Suggest: Omega 3 supplements and mentally stimulating enclosure apparatuses to accompany tutelage.

Dr. Broussard signing off.

[LOG ENDS]

Revisited Numbers

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: THREE
[Voice Recognition Initialized]

[Subjects Identified: A001, A435]

[LOG BEGINS]

Director: Unacceptable.

Jones: I'm just telling you the numbers, Director, I'm not responsible for them.

Director: In your earlier e-mail you claimed the issue would be solved by the Pod.

Jones: Yeah, the weight issue. And it was solved. The problem now is the insane amount of power that big thing eats every time it prints a colonist.

Director: So how do you suppose we meet these target numbers? Fossil fuels are exhausted, nuclear is outlawed, solar is next to impossible with this smog.

Jones: I dunno. That's why you've got researchers, I just crunch numbers. Although you should avoid fossil fuels and nuclear energy anyway. If you have to load the rocket up with a couple tons of fuel then we're back to square one on the weight problem. It's gotta be something clever.

Director: Thank you, Dr. Jones. You may go.

[LOG ENDS]

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

[Voice Recognition Initialized]

[Subjects Identified: A001, B111]

[LOG BEGINS]

Jackie: Dr. Jones projects that traditional fuel will be insufficient for the Pod to make the flight.

Olivia: Then we need to change its specs. Use lighter materials, cut weight wherever possible, do widespread optimizations across the whole project.

Jackie: We have another option.

Olivia: No. Absolutely not. You needed me and I-I came back, but if you plan to revive our research--

Jackie: The world's doomed regardless, Olivia. We need to use any advantage we've got... And just think about it! If we built [REDACTED] technology into the Pod it wouldn't just fix the flight problem, we'd know for a fact it would run uninterrupted for thousands of years, maybe more.

Sunflower Seeds

 * Unique name: 

ENCRYPTION LEVEL: ZERO
[Voice Recognition Initialized]

[Subject Identified: B111]

[LOG BEGINS]

"A-and how are you furry little fellows today?

(squeaking)

Look! I brought sunflower seeds. Your favorite! Are you hungry?

(excited squeaking)

Oh, one moment, my dear, little friends. I left the recorder on --

(rustling)"

[LOG ENDS]